Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-10-21
S. H. BOWMAN'S ACCEPTANCE.
To the Voters Of Shenandoah County :
BY the Cnnvnnfinn of Rnnnhi-

BY the Convention of Republi
cans, held in New Market, on Sat
urday last-the 18th inst was
nominated as a candidate tor elec
ton to the House Of Delegates
Never WIS an honor, however small,
conferred with greater surprise to
a recipient. ! was a delegate "a
the Convention, and was there only
to vote for others, as expression
should develop the prevailing pref.
ercnce for candidates. No sugges-
ton Of my nomination, or the pos
sibilily of it, had been made TO me,
and am quite sure it was as much
a surprise to the convention as il
was to me when | was declared the
nominee.
But | find myself a chosen can.
didate, and must accept the honor
or decline it. Several days of con.
ference with gentlemen throughout
the county have constrained me
to do the former; and realizing, as
| do, my own inexperience IN mat
tiers of legislation, it is due to those
whose representative may he to
set forth briefly the views | enter.
tain as an humble citizen hitherto
without aspiration or ambition for
office. If it may not be consider.
ed irreverent, / could wish that
this cup had passed from me.
AT the inception of readjustment
] espoused the cause of the read
justers. | gave the best support I
could to the readjusters, and followed
the fortunes OF that party from 1879
TO this day, believing that Virginia
had no hope short of the final tri.
umph OF that party organizatlOn.-
| have sustained the Riddleberger
bill as an equitable settlement OF
our state debt, and there is but one
consideration that would move me
from my position IN relation to that
measure now. We have recently
seen judicial usurpations which
would entirely obliterate geograph
ical lines and make the Atlas of the
school the plaything of Bond
Rather than see this change in our
institutions, | would cheeriully sup.
port any practicable measure for
absOlving ourselves from the pay.
ment of the whole debt. II the
autonomy Of the state be destroyed
by judicial usurpation there is no
more left ont which to make a debt
than there is in the corpse upon
which you would levy an execu-
ton, or in whose name You would
issue tax receivable scrip. A sense
of justice, | have always thought
would suggest to the Federal gov
eminent the payment OF our entire
debt.
1t is not necessary TO say more to
make my position on the main ques-
tlon-that of the debt-understoOd.
| am, as | have heretofore been,
an earnest advocate Of free and gen.
eral education and would not hest
tate to cast my vote on the side of
the free schools of our state and
county.
/ believe we should have better
roads for the labor bestowed upon
them, or that we should have less
labor for the roads as we have them.
Either better roads for the labor, or
less labor for the roads.
| believe in liberal appropriations
for our Deaf, Dumb and Blind In.
stitute and our Lunatic Asylums.--
Jails were not made for the afllict.
sd, but for criminals.
In national politics am a Repub-
lean. / believe the principles Of
he Republican party will promote
he best interests of our people
md though state legislators car
rave no direct vote on questions o.
purely national concern, yet they
rave a voice as representatives
which national legislators can not
urn a deaf ear to.
Without prejudice, | should give
he reliable lawyer all the legisla-
ion which he should deem neces-
AIRY from time TO time to complete
ur code of laws. Nevertheless,
must confess that my life has been
ather that of a farmer, and with
hat interest | am better prepared
0 deal and to legislale for.
There are various other subjects !
f local importance which | might !
lention, bat to express my hum
lie views on them all would ex-
end this paper beyond reasonable
mlts.
hope it is unnecessary to say
hat | am always in favor Of the
urest and most economic admins.
ration OF our state affairs consist
Mt with the views before stated,
nd also a continuance Of the state
llowance to manned Confederate
oldiers.
Thanking the convention and
skiing the public to consider what
J presented in this letter of &C.
eptance, am
Respectfully,
SAMITEI, II Rowan